At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, Yahweh’s house and the king’s house (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. Hiram came out of Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him. He said, “What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” He called them the land of Cabul to this day. Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.
Parallel Translations
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At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, Yahweh’s house and the king’s house
(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
Hiram came out of Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they didn’t please him.
He said, “What cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” He called them the land of Cabul to this day.
Hiram sent to the king one hundred twenty talents of gold.
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And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king’s house,
(Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not.
And he said, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the land of Cabul unto this day.
And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
Show all 3 translations
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And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king's house —
now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and cypress-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire — that then king Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.
And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him: and they pleased him not.
And he said: 'What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother?' And they were called the land of Cabul, unto this day.
And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.
Cross-references (18)
- Joshua 19:27 (v13) It turned toward the sunrise to Beth Dagon, and reached to Zebulun, and to the valley of Iphtah El northward to Beth Emek and Neiel. It…
- 1 Kings 6:37–7:1 (v10) The foundation of Yahweh’s house was laid in the fourth year, in the month Ziv. In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth…
- 1 Kings 9:1 (v10) When Solomon had finished the building of Yahweh’s house, the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,
- 1 Kings 9:11 (v14) (now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and cypress trees, and with gold, according to all his desire), King…
- 2 Chronicles 8:1-18 (v10) At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built Yahweh’s house and his own house, Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to…
Show all 18 cross-references
- 2 Chronicles 8:2 (v11) Solomon built the cities which Huram had given to Solomon, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.
- Amos 1:9 (v13) Yahweh says: “For three transgressions of Tyre, yes, for four, I will not turn away its punishment; because they delivered up the whole…
- Numbers 22:34 (v12) Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you,…
- Joshua 20:7 (v11) They set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (also called…
- Judges 14:3 (v12) Then his father and his mother said to him, “Isn’t there a woman among your brothers’ daughters, or among all my people, that you go to…
- 1 Kings 5:1-2 (v13) Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father, and Hiram had…
- 1 Kings 5:6-10 (v11) Now therefore command that cedar trees be cut for me out of Lebanon. My servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for…
- 1 Kings 9:28 (v14) They came to Ophir, and fetched from there gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to king Solomon.
- 1 Kings 10:10 (v14) She gave the king one hundred twenty talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was there such…
- 1 Kings 10:14 (v14) Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred sixty-six talents of gold,
- 1 Kings 10:21 (v14) All king Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of…
- 2 Chronicles 2:8-10 (v11) “Send me also cedar trees, cypress trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon; for I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebanon.…
- 2 Chronicles 2:16 (v11) and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as you need. We will bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa; then you shall carry it up to…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (19 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv11, 13, 14 Or, Zor.
Or, Zor.
Or, Galilee.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv10–14 1Ki 9:10 And it came to pass at the…
1Ki 9:10 And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD, and the king’s house,
Ver. 10. At the end of twenty years,] viz., From the beginning of the temple’s building.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv11–14 Or, near (as beth oft signifies, as hath been…
Or, near (as beth oft signifies, as hath been proved before)
the land of Galilee, bordering upon it; in those parts which were near and adjoining to Hiram’s dominions: with the cities understand the lands and territories belonging to them.
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Quest. How could Solomon give away any part of that land wherein the people had a right by a Divine lot, and God had a right, as being the only proprietary of it; upon which ground the total alienation of it, or any part of it, was forbidden, Lev 25:23?
Answ. 1. It is not said that he gave them away wholly, and for ever; but he might assign them to him only for a time, until he was fully satisfied for his debt.
2. If these cities were possessed by Israelites, Solomon did not give him their particular possessions, but only his own royalties over them, and all the profits he received from them, which were very considerable, as may be gathered from that passage, 1Ki 12:4.
3. These cities, though they were within those large bounds which God fixed to the Land of Promise, Gen 15:18; Jos 1:4, yet were not within those parts which were distributed by Lot in Joshua’s time, nor belonging to the tribe of Asher, (as some suppose,) as may be gathered both from Jos 19:27, where their border is said to go out only to the land of Cabul, to wit, exclusively; and Jos 19:30, where all their cities are said to be but twenty and two; and from 2Ch 8:2, where it is said of those cities, when Hiram restored them, that Solomon built them, and caused the children of Israel to dwell there; which makes it more than probable that these cities were not inhabited by Israelites, but by Canaanites, or other heathens; who being subdued and extirpated by David, or Solomon, those cities became a part of their dominions, and at their disposal; and afterwards were reckoned a part of Galilee, as Josephus notes; and may be one reason why he gave these rather than other cities, because they were in his power to give, when others were not.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v10 What agreement was made between Solomon and Hiram, when…
What agreement was made between Solomon and Hiram, when the building-work was to be begun, we read before, ch. 5. Here we have an account of their fair and friendly parting when the work was done. 1. Hiram made good his bargain to the utmost. He had furnished Solomon with materials for his buildings, according to all his desire (Kg1 9:11), and with gold, Kg1 9:15. So far was he from envying Solomon's growing greatness and reputation, and being jealous of him, that he helped to magnify him. Solomon's power, with Solomon's wisdom, needs not be dreaded by any of his neighbours. God honours him; therefore Hiram will. 2. Solomon, no doubt, made good his bargain, and gave Hiram food for his household, as was agreed, Kg1 5:9. But here we are told that, over and above that, he gave him twenty cities (small ones we may suppose, like those mentioned here, Kg1 9:19) in the land of Galilee, Kg1 9:11. It should seem, these were not allotted to any of the tribes of Israel (for the border of Asher came up to them, Jos 19:27, which intimates that it did not include them), but continued in the hands of the natives till Solomon made himself master of them, and then made a present of them to Hiram. It becomes those that are great and good to be generous. Hiram came to see these cities, and did not like them (Kg1 9:12): They pleased him not. He called the country the land of Cabul, a Phoenician word (says Josephus) which signifies displeasing, Kg1 9:13. He therefore returned them to Solomon (as we find, Ch2 8:2), who repaired them, and then caused the children of Israel to inhabit them, which intimates that before they did not; but, when Solomon received back what he had given, no doubt he honourably gave Hiram an equivalent in something else. But what shall we think of this? Did Solomon act meanly in giving Hiram what was not worth his acceptance? Or was Hiram humoursome and hard to please? I am willing to believe it was neither the one nor the other. The country was truly valuable, and so were the cities in it, but not agreeable to Hiram's genius. The Tyrians were merchants, trading men, that lived in fine houses, and became rich by navigation, but knew not how to value a country that was fit for corn and pasture (that was business that lay out of their way); and therefore Hiram desired Solomon to take them again, he knew not what to do with them, and, if he would please to gratify him, let it be in his own element, by becoming his partner in trade, as we find he did, Kg1 9:27. Hiram, who was used to the clean streets of Tyre, could by no means agree with the miry lanes in the land of Cabul, whereas the best lands have commonly the worst roads through them. See how the providence of God suits both the accommodation of this earth to the various dispositions of men and the dispositions of men to the various accommodations of the earth, and all for the good of mankind in general. Some take delight in husbandry, and wonder what pleasure sailors can take on a rough sea; others take as much delight in navigation, and wonder what pleasure husbandmen can take in a dirty country, like the land of Cabul. It is so in many other instances, in which we may observe the wisdom of him whose all souls are and all lands.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv10–14 And it came to pass at the end of…
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years,.... From the time Solomon first began to build: when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king's house; the first was seven years in building, and the other thirteen; in all twenty.
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years,.... From the time Solomon first began to build: when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord, and the king's house; the first was seven years in building, and the other thirteen; in all twenty.
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1 Kings 9:11
kg1 9:11
kg1 9:11
kg1 9:11(Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees,.... For the building of both his houses; see Kg1 5:8,
and with gold, according to all his desire): which is not before mentioned, and accounts for it from whence Solomon had his gold; if he made no use, as some think he did not, of what his father left him; see Kg1 7:51 with which he covered several parts of the temple, and made several vessels in it. Hiram traded to Ophir, and had it from thence; and he could supply Solomon with it, and did, before he sent a navy thither:
that then Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee; that is, by or near it, for they were not in the land of Canaan; for then Solomon could not have disposed of them, being allotted and belonging to one of the tribes of Israel, and part of the Lord's inheritance; but they were upon the borders, particularly on the borders of Asher, if Cabul in Jos 19:27, can be thought to be the same with these; though some think that Solomon did not give Hiram the possession of these cities, but the royalties and revenues of them, their produce until the debt was paid: but they rather seem to be a gratuity, and a full grant of them, and might be cities which David had conquered, and taken out of the hands of the ancient inhabitants of them; and so Solomon had a right to dispose of them, being left him by his father; for it is plain as yet they were not inhabited by Israelites; see Ch2 8:2. They are by a Jewish writer (f) said to be twenty two, very wrongly.
(f) Gloss. in T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 54. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv11, 13, 14 Galilee - Or, near the land of Galilee, bordering…
Galilee - Or, near the land of Galilee, bordering upon it; in those parts which were near, and adjoining to Hiram's dominions: with the cities, understand the territories belonging to them. These cities, though they were within those large bounds which God fixed to the land of promise, Gen. xv, 18 Josh. i, 4, yet were not within those parts which were distributed by lot in Joshua's time. It is probable they were not inhabited by Israelites, but by Canaanites, or other Heathens; who being subdued, and extirpated by David or Solomon, those cities became a part of their dominions; and afterwards were reckoned a part of Galilee, as Josephus notes.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv10, 11, 13, 14 Verse 10. At the end of twenty years] He…
Verse 10. At the end of twenty years] He employed seven years and a half in building the temple, and twelve years and a half in building the king's house; see 1Kg 7:1; 2Ch 8:1.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v11 1Ki 9:11-14. Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the…
1Ki 9:11-14. Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee — Or, near the land of Galilee, bordering upon it; in those parts which were near, and adjoining to, Hiram’s dominions: with the cities, understand the territories belonging to them. These cities, though they were within those large bounds which God fixed to the land of promise, (Gen 15:18; Jos 1:4,) yet were not within those parts which were distributed by lot in Joshua’s time. It is probable they were not inhabited by Israelites, but by Canaanites, or other heathen; who having been subdued and made tributary by David or Solomon, those cities became a part of their dominions; and afterward were reckoned a part of Galilee, as Josephus notes. They pleased him not — Were not suitable to his desire, and the genius of his people. He called them the land of Cabul — A Phenician word, says Josephus, which signifies displeasing. But Rabbi Salomon writes that the land was so called because it was “quasi compedita, id est, argillacea, tenax, et infrugifera,” bound, stiff, clayey, and unfruitful. Hiram did not like it, because, though it might be very good, yet being a thick and stiff clay, and therefore requiring great pains to cultivate and manure it, it was very unsuitable to the disposition of the Tyrians, who were delicate, and lazy, and luxurious, and wholly given to merchandise. And, on his returning them, there is no doubt but Solomon gave him an equivalent, more to his taste. And Hiram sent to the king — Or rather, For Hiram had sent, &c. And this seems to be here added, both to declare the quantity of the gold sent, which had been only named before, (1Ki 9:11,) and as the reason why he resented Solomon’s action, because so great a sum required a better recompense.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv10–14 The “twenty years” are to be counted from the…
The “twenty years” are to be counted from the fourth year of Solomon, the year when he commenced the building of the temple. They are made up of the seven years employed in the work of the temple 1Ki 6:38, and the thirteen years during which Solomon was building his own house 1Ki 7:1.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv11, 13 Galilee, the higher, which was nearer to the sea…
Galilee, the higher, which was nearer to the sea and the confines of Tyre; (Menochius) or rather the lower Galilee lay in this direction. (Calmet) --- This was not a part of the country allotted to Israel, (Josue xix. 27.) but had been conquered: as Hiram gave the cities back, 2 Paralipomenon viii. 2. Solomon caused them to be rebuilt, and peopled by the Israelites. (Grotius) --- If they had formed a part of his dominions before, he would not have had to send a colony thither. (Calmet) --- Others think that he only ceded that country for a time to Hiram, till he should be indemnified. (Abulensis) (Tostat) (Menochius) (Tirinus) (Worthington) --- The country belonged to the Lord, (Leviticus xxv. 13.) and could not be given away by the prince. In case it had been occupied by strangers, Solomon would have taken care that the Israelites should have the free exercise of their religion. But as Hiram rejected his offer, he would make him recompense by some other means; (Calmet) in ready money, ver. 14. (Josephus) (Tirinus)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv10–11 THE MUTUAL PRESENTS OF SOLOMON AND HIRAM. (Kg1 9:10-23)
THE MUTUAL PRESENTS OF SOLOMON AND HIRAM. (Kg1 9:10-23)
at the end of twenty years--Seven and a half years were spent in building the temple, and twelve and a half or thirteen in the erection of his palace (Kg1 7:1; Ch2 8:1). This verse is only a recapitulation of Kg1 9:1, necessary to recover the thread of connection in the narrative.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv10–14 SUNDRY NOTICES OF SOLOMON’S ACTS, 1Ki_9:10-28.
SUNDRY NOTICES OF SOLOMON’S ACTS, 1Ki_9:10-28.
This section furnishes one of the most noticeable instances of the fragmentary manner in which some portions of the Old Testament history have been compiled. The writer evidently gathered excerpts from more complete historical and statistical documents, and arranged them in their present form of a rapidly sketched abridgment, the meaning of which is in some places hard to determine.
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10. Twenty years — Seven in building the temple, (1Ki_6:38,) and thirteen on the palace. 1Ki_7:1.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv10–13 10–14. Solomon’s gift to Hiram king of Tyre (Not…
10–14. Solomon’s gift to Hiram king of Tyre (Not in Chronicles)
10. at the end of twenty years] See 1Ki_6:38 and 1Ki_7:1.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv10–14 (10) And it came to pass.—To this detailed account…
(10) And it came to pass.—To this detailed account of the building and consecration of the Temple, ending at 1Ki_9:9, succeed, first, a notice of a visit of Hiram; and then a section of wholly different character, a series of brief notes (evidently official records), of the works and the government of Solomon, which continues—broken only by the episode of the visit of the Queen of Sheba—to the end of the next chapter.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv10–14 SOLOMON"S BUILDINGS AND UNDERTAKINGS. So far the historian has…
CHAPTER 9:10-28.
SOLOMON"S BUILDINGS AND UNDERTAKINGS. So far the historian has spoken exclusively of the two greatest works of Solomon"s reign, the Temple and the Palace, and principally of the former. Even the message just related was, as we have seen, the response to the prayer offered when the temple was consecrated. But he now proceeds to mention other proofs of Solomon"s greatness, and of the prosperity of his reign doubtless because the glory of Israel then reached its climax, and the author would be tempted to linger over these details because of the dark contrast which his own time supplied and this leads him to speak of the means by which all these enterprises were accomplished. The particulars here given are but fragmentary, and are grouped together in a somewhat irregular manner. It would seem as if both this account and that of the chronicler had been compiled from much more copious histories, each writer having cited those particulars which appeared to him to be the most interesting and important. But the design of the historian in either case is evident, viz.,
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(1) to recount the principal undertakings of this illustrious king, and
(2) to indicate the resources which enabled him to accomplish such ambitious and extensive designs.
These latter were
(1) the alliance with Hiram, which secured him the necessary materials (vers. 11-14);
(2) the forced labour of the subject races (vers. 20-23); and
(3) the voyages of his fleet (vers. 26-28).
And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, seven of which were occupied on the temple and thirteen on the palace (1Ki_7:1) when or, during which. LXX ejn oiv wjkodomhse. This may well be the meaning of hnB rva though rva qui, undoubtedly sometimes has the sense of quum Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king"s house. Observe how all the palaces are regarded as one house. (Note on 1Ki_7:1)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v10 1Ki_9:10. At the end of twenty years—Seven and a-half…
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.—
1Ki_9:10. At the end of twenty years—Seven and a-half years spent in erecting temple, twelve and a-half upon his own house. This verse takes up again the suspended narrative (1Ki_9:1, supra). After Solomon, with the aid of Hiram, had completed his work, the king gave Hiram twenty cities, &c.
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1Ki_9:11. Cities in the land of Galilee—Adjacent to Tyre (Josephus), until then unconquered, and occupied by the Canaanites.
1Ki_9:12-13. They pleased him not … he called them Cabul—Gesenius regards Cabul as a name of contempt; Keil considers the word to be a contraction from כְּהַבּוּל as a vacuity, a desolate region.
HOMILETICS OF 1Ki_9:10-14
QUESTIONABLE GENEROSITY
I. It is questionable generosity when a gift is tardily rendered. “And it came to pass at the end of twenty years—that then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities”—one city for every year of building. The charm of generosity is its promptness. That is well done that is done quickly. To give slowly is to give grudgingly. The Arabians are said to be remarkably lavish in their generosity. Gibbon relates that a dispute had arisen who, among the citizens of Mecca, was entitled to the prize of generosity, and a successive application was made to the three who were deemed most worthy of the trial. Abdallah, the son of Abbas, had undertaken a distant journey, and his foot was in the stirrup when he heard the voice of a suppliant, “O son of the uncle of the Apostle of God, I am a traveller, and in distress!” He instantly dismounted to present the pilgrim with his camel, her rich caparison, and a purse of four thousand pieces of gold, excepting only the sword, either for its intrinsic value, or as the gift of an honoured kinsman. The servant of Kais informed the second suppliant that his master was asleep; but he immediately added, “Here is a purse of seven thousand pieces of gold—it is all we have in the house—and here is an order that will entitle you to a camel and a slave.” The master, as soon as he awoke, praised and enfranchised his faithful steward, with a gentle reproof that by respecting his slumbers he had stinted his bounty. The third of these heroes, the blind Arabah, at the hour of prayer, was supporting his steps on the shoulders of two slaves—“Alas!” he replied, “My coffers are empty; but these you may sell: if you refuse, I renounce them.” At these words, pushing away the youthful slaves, he groped along the wall with his staff. There is a generosity that is questionable in its excess; when it surpasses the limits of discretion. A true generosity is regulated by justice.
II. It is questionable generosity where the right of disposal is doubtful. According to the law, Solomon had no right to give away these cities, or any part of the inheritance of Israel (Lev_25:23). But this was not the first nor last instance in which this great king stepped aside from the law of Moses. Already, contrary to the express commands of the law, he had multiplied horses and chariots. In the case before ns the appearance of transgression is somewhat modified when we remember that these cities, when given to Hiram, were not peopled by Israelites, but by heathens. Solomon may have regarded it as a prudent policy to hand over the government of these heathen cities, which were evidently of no great worth, to his friendly neighbour who had rendered him so much service in building the Lord’s house. It is worse than a questionable generosity, it is a positive injustice, for a man to give away in charity what ought to be paid in discharge of his just debts. It is easy for a man to be lavish with money that is not his own, but which in all fairness belongs to his creditors. It is the impulse of benevolence blinding the sense of justice.
III. It is questionable generosity where the gift creates disappointment rather than pleasure. “And Hiram came out of Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not” (1Ki_9:12). It is not always that a generous spirit meets with the appreciation and gratitude it merits; but it strives so to administer its gifts as to meet the wants and promote the happiness of the recipient. There is a way of bestowing benefits in which the giver makes himself appear as the obliged party. On the other hand, a gift may be so inadequate in comparison with the resources of the donor and the merits of the recipient as to produce chagrin and displeasure. Hiram might naturally have coveted some of Solomon’s coast towns—perhaps had cast his eyes on the noble bay of Acco or Ptolemais—and was therefore dissatisfied with the gift of a comparatively useless inland region. It would be well for us to have as light an esteem of all things temporal as Hiram had of these twenty cities!
IV. An act of questionable generosity need not interfere with a long-tried friendship. “And Hiram sent to the king six score talents of gold” (1Ki_9:14). Apparently to show that, although disappointed, he was rob offended. The sum sent was very large—above a million and a quarter of on money, according to Mr. Poole’s estimate of the weight of the Hebrew gold talent, or about £720,000 according to the estimate preferred by Mr. S. Clarke. At any rate, it was more than equal to a sixth part of Solomon’s regular revenue (chap. 1Ki_10:14). The cities despised by Hiram were restored to Solomon, who rebuilt and colonized them with Israelities (2Ch_8:2). No doubt Solomon compensated Hiram in some other way. Their friendship was not sacrificed by what might have been thought an act of parsimoniousness on the one hand, or an act of ungrateful contemptuousness on the other. In the dearest friendships, anomalies will occur which are difficult to reconcile. The conduct of a friend may seem questionable and blameworthy. Then is the time to exercise patience and forbearance, to put the best construction on the most unfavourable appearances, and wait calmly the issue of events. Many a valuable friendship has been wrecked by a single injudicious act; and a wound inflicted which has rankled in the heart for years. It is a bitter experience when the soul realizes for the first time the heartless infidelity of a long trusted friend!
Is all the counsel that we two have shared,
The sisters’ vows, the hours that we have spent
When we have chid the hasty-footed time
For parting us—O! is all forgot?
All school-days’ friendship, childhood innocence?
—And will you rend our ancient love asunder
To join with men in scorning your poor friend?
Midsummer Night’s Dream.
LESSONS:—
1. It requires great wisdom to be truly generous.
2. Generosity is often abused, both in the donor and in the recipient.
3. A genuine friendship is too valuable to be forfeited by trifles.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
1Ki_9:10. The demeanor of Solomon and Hiram towards each other. I. Friends and neighbours should be of one mind, and mutually ready to help each other. II. Let not him who has kindly aided thee with his substance be long awaiting the proofs of thy gratitude, and render to him more rather than less, even if he need it not. III. Regard not so much the gift which thou receivest, as the disposition of the giver, remembering always, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
1Ki_9:10. A generous spirit.
1. Is careful in estimating.
2. Liberal in providing.
3. Prompt in giving.
4. Is one of the noblest fruits of Christianity.
1Ki_9:13. These twenty cities were mere villages, of course, and it is a genuine Eastern trick to dignify a small present with a pompous name. And so the remonstrance of Hiram with Solomon is very natural: “What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother?” and then he fastens upon the gift a name of contempt—Cabul, vile or displeasing—a mode of expressing and of perpetuating dissatisfaction eminently Oriental.—The Land and the Book.
—From the heathen Hiram, many Christians may learn, even where real cause for dissatisfaction and just claims exist, to state the disproportion between gifts and recompenses with friendly words and in a kindly manner.
1Ki_9:14. Friends who through long years have aided each other must not be estranged, even when one thinks himself injured by the other, but must strive to come to a thorough understanding and agreement.—Lange.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v10 Solomon’s Resources and Power
Solomon’s Resources and Power
v. 10. And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon’s chief building operations had been brought to an end, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king’s house,
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v. 11. (now Hiram, the king of Tyre, had furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and fir trees, cypress-trees, and with gold, according to all his desire,) that then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee, in the northern part, in the mountain country of Naphtali.
v. 12. And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, to make a tour of inspection; and they pleased him not, they were not located in a prosperous part of the country.
v. 13. And he said, in a tone of contempt, What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother? And he called them the Land of Cabul (closed, without an outlet) unto this day. So the district was later spoken of by people acquainted with the transaction. Hiram restored the cities to Solomon, 2Ch 8:2, who thereupon satisfied him in some other way, for their friendly relations were not disturbed.
v. 14. And Hiram sent to the king six score talents of gold, almost two and one half million dollars, evidently a loan to enable Solomon to complete his projected buildings and improvements.
v. 15. And this is the reason of the levy, literally, "as to the matter of the enforced labor," which King Solomon raised: for to build the house of the Lord, and his own house, and Millo, the fortifications, the citadel of the capital, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer, three cities which strategic reasons caused Solomon to fortify strongly.
v. 16. For Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had gone up, and taken Gezer, and burned it with fire, and slain the Canaanites that dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon’s wife. This fortified city now served to safeguard the southwestern boundary of the kingdom.
v. 17. And Solomon built Gezer, and Beth-horon, the nether, toward the Philistine country,
v. 18. and Baalath, also in the neighborhood of the Philistine country, and Tadmor in the wilderness, the ancient Palmyra, on an oasis between Damascus and the Euphrates, in the land,
v. 19. and all the cities of store that Solomon had, where he had large deposits of food and war-materials, and cities for his chariots, and cities for his horsemen, the cavalry of his standing army, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, all the public improvements, and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion.
v. 20. And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the heathen nations which had formerly occupied Palestine, which were not of the children of Israel,
v. 21. their children that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy, Jos 15:63; Jos 17:12, upon those did Solomon Levy a tribute of bond-service unto this day, pressing them into service for the menial labor connected with his projects.
v. 22. But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen, but they were men-of-war, officials of the war department, and his servants, heads of the civil bureaus, and his princes, chief officers of the army, and his captains, royal adjutants, and rulers of his chariots and his horsemen, commanders of this department of the king’s army.
v. 23. These were the chief of the officers that were over Solomon’s work, five hundred and fifty, which bare rule over the people that wrought in the work, superintending the erection of the public buildings and improvements.
v. 24. But Pharaoh’s daughter came up out of the city of David, where she had resided until the completion of the new palace, unto her house which Solomon had built for her; then did he build Millo, the citadel intended to protect the upper city.
v. 25. And three times in a year, apparently on the three chief festivals, Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles, did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace-offerings upon the altar which he built unto the Lord; and he burned incense upon the altar that was before the Lord, presenting his meat-offering three times a year, through the priests, as well as his burnt and peace-offering. So he finished the house, it became all that it was designed for and intended to be, a house where men could communicate with Jehovah and enter into fellowship with Him.
v. 26. And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, on the Elanitic Gulf, in the land of Edom.
v. 27. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, trained seamen, with the servants of Solomon.
v. 28. And they came to Ophir, the location of which is not definitely decided, though some facts speak for Eastern Africa, and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, somewhat more than eight million dollars, and brought it to King Solomon. In this way Solomon took care of the welfare and security of his people. His kingdom is a type of the eternal kingdom of Christ with its spiritual and heavenly blessings.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv10, 12 It came about
It came about
This phrase is used here to mark the beginning of a new part of the story. If your language has a way of doing this, you could consider using it here.
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at the end of twenty years
"after 20 years"
Solomon had finished building
It might be best to translate so that the reader understands that other people helped Solomon do this. (See: Synecdoche)
translationWords
Solomon
king
palace
Tyre
cedar
gold
Galilee
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v10 9:10-14 In Solomon’s business agreement with King Hiram, he…
9:10-14 In Solomon’s business agreement with King Hiram, he exchanged wheat and olive oil for timber and gold (5:10-11). When Solomon became indebted to Hiram, he gave him twenty towns in . . . Galilee as compensation. However, Hiram was dissatisfied with the towns, so he returned them to Solomon’s control (see 2 Chr 8:2). The two friends settled upon other means of compensation and remained active allies and trading partners (1 Kgs 9:26-28; 10:22).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.